Method of making masking devices



Feb. 2, 1932. H. N. NICKERSON 1,343,432

METHOD OF MAKING MASKING DEVICES Filed NOV. 27, 1929 I N V EN TOR.

WM 72 721mm A TTORNEY Patented Feb. 2, 1932 UN-iTED stares .eATENT;OFFICE 11 HUGH N. NICKERSON, F CLEVELAND, OHIO METHOD OF MAKING MASKINGDEVICES Application filed November 27, 929. SerialNo. 410,115.

bile bodies of that type in which a background color is relieved by anirregularly 2 shaped designin a different color. To the accomplishmentof the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of themeans hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detailcertain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed meansconstituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which theprinciple of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings: Figs. 1 to 4 are elevations of templates usedin my invention; andFig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the resultof one step :5 in my method.

In painting automobiles where my masking device is most especiallyapplicable, the usual practice is to apply the trim color to I the bodybefore any other color is applied thereto, though of course the steps ofthe method may be reversed. In carrying out the usual method, the trimcolor can be applied rather carelessly inasmuch as a coat of color islater to be applied to the remaining portions of the body, which coatwill cover any of the trim color inadvertently applied to other portionsof the body. After the trim color has dried, those portions of the bodywhich are intended to retain this color are masked, and the backgroundcolor is applied tothe whole body either with a brush or by spraying.The various forms of templet masks shown in Figs. 1 to 5, having anadhesive coating and are pressed onto those portions to be protected.The masks prevent any of the background color from falling on the trim,and after the background color has dried, the masks are removed. i

The universal practice in the automotive industry prior to my inventionhasrbeen to cover the trim portions of .thebody with a heavy paper'toone face of which an adhesive material has been applied.- This paper issupplied to the paint shops in rolls of strip material of a widthexactly to cover the straight stripe portions of the trim.

As obviously, wherever curves have to be masked, the practice has beento tear from the strip material veryfshort pieces and patch themtogether to get around such curves. Obviously, this make-shift cannotresult "in the smooth masking of a curve; and consequently "it has beennecessary in the past to i check each body very carefully and to retouchthe curves of the trim by hand.

This cumbersome and inefficient means of masking has been universallyused throughout the automotive industry until the completion ofmy'invention. r

' According'to my invention, the paint shop is be supplied not only withstrip mate rial as has been done in the past, but with templetsparticularly designed and performed exactly to cover irregularly shapedportions of the trim for any given paint job. The templet 33 isprovided, on its one face, with an adhesive material sothat it may beeasily secured to the body; and it will be obvious that, in order toprovide for masking the two symmetrical sides of the car, the shop mustbe supplied not only with templets 33, but

with what may be termed images of the templets 33 to be applied tocorresponding parts on the opposite sides of the bodies. Similarly,templets 38, 39 and 40 are supplied for masking the other irregularlyshaped portions of the trim, it being understood that the ordinarystraight strip material maybe applied to' the re" ularly shaped portionsof the trim to mask t 1e same, in the usual manner; and that othertemplets of different shapes may be provided to mask any desiredportions of the trim of any body.

As has been indicated, it is essential that there be supplied for eachirregularly shaped 7 portion of the trim a templet to be applied to eachside of the body; and, as will be obvious, the templets for applicationto one side of the body will be reversedimages of the templets to beapplied to the opposite side of the body. 'I have devised a satisfactorymethodof manufacturing such templets, and a description of such methodfollows.

The material of which the templets are made is preferably a heavy paperprovided on its one face with an adhesive material. sheets 41 and 42 ofsuch paper are secured, through the medium of such-adhesive material ontheir surfaces 43 and 44 respectively to opposite sides of anintermediate sheet 45 of waxed or oiledpaper or any similar substance towhich the adhesive'material will not adhere too firmly. The three sheetsare then I simultaneously cut to form a templet of'the desired shape,and,*as will be obvious, when the two sheets 41 and 42 of maskingmaterial are removed from the intermediate waxed slieet 45, they willcomprise templets having an adhesive surface and of corresponding shapefor application to corresponding portions of the trim on opposite sidesof the b l Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may beemployedinstead of the one explained,'change being made as regards themechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of thefollowing claims 'or the equivalent of such stated means be employed. i

I therefore particularly point out and dis tinctl claim as my'invention:

1 iii a method of forming masks having an.- adhesive surface forirregularlyfshaped portions of a symmetrical two-sided article, thesteps of securing to opposite faces of an intermediate sheet to act as atemporary binding surface, two sheets of mask-forming material, andsimultaneously cutting the three sheets to the form of one of saidirregularly shaped portions, whereby a mask is formed for one of suchportions on each side of said article.

2. In a method of forming masks having an adhesive surface forirregularly shaped portions of a symmetrical two-sided article,

7 the steps which consist in securing to a sheet tions, and removingfrom their engagement with said waxed paper'the forms so cut.

Two

3. Inca method of formin masks for an irregularly shaped portion 0 anautomobile body, consisting of vari-formed areas which HUGH N.NICKERSON.

